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Gary Shaw Discusses
WBC/Mississippi Ruling
Then Slam "Dunk"s James
Kirkland's Manager
By William Trillo
On Tuesday the WBC sent out a press
release in regards to this weekends fights in Mississippi
and how they were going to deal with 2 fights on that card.
One is for the WBC version of the 140 pound title that Gary
Shaw promoted Tim Bradley would be defending against Edner
Cherry. The lengthy release stated that The WBC did not
approve of the Mississippi judges and would send their own
judges to make their own decision on this fight and another
on the card.
Click here to see full WBC press release
As opposed to just posting the release,
we thought it would be best to get in touch with promoter
Gary Shaw to get his feelings on the matter. Not only did
Shaw let us know about this weekends Mississippi vs. WBC
battle but he then cut loose with his feelings in regard to
James Kirkland and his manager Cameron Dunkin.
William Trillo:
Gary I am calling you because I received
the press release from the WBC in regard to this weekends
fights in Mississippi. Can you tell us your position in all
this?
Gary Shaw: My thinking is
the fighters work very hard, both to win a World title,
defend the World title and to challenge for a World Title. I
can't control local commissions and I can't control
sanctioning bodies so it's my job to make the best of the
situation. So the idea was that the WBC was not going to
sanction the fight at all. That makes it very difficult on
the fighters because Timothy Bradley has worked very hard to
become a Champion and now to face a worthy challenger. Edner
Cherry is a worthy challenger who wants to fight for a World
Championship, it's not just about the money. So I was able
to come to a resolution with the WBC were they would put
judges in seats and their judges would score the fight. It's
not a slap in Mississippi's face as far as I am concerned,
John Lewis is a friend. We will abide by the ruling
Mississippi makes for career wins and losses. And then the
WBC will score and will award their winner the belt. Now
could you have 2 different sets of scores? Absolutely!
WT: That's what I wanted to ask, if we
get the worse case scenario and the two set of judges see
things differently there are going to be more than a few
ruffled feathers.
GS: Well of course, but we
have agreed as far as the belts are concerned to abide by
the WBC judges scorecards. As far as their records,
Mississippi is the regulator so whatever the say, (in regard
to official records), goes!
WT: Well then hopefully everything will
go okay and there will be a clear cut winner and this won't
put a black eye (I hate to use that term) on these fights.
What's a bit scary here though is that Timothy Bradley is a
great young Champion and Edner Cherry is no slouch, he is a
very viable opponent, I mean this fight really could be
close and go either way.
GS: Edner Cherry is a very
worthy challenger and he will make this a tough test, no
doubt.
WT: Let me ask, is the WBC picking up a
sanctioning fee for this bout?
GS: Yes
WT: Okay, so we are all in agreement
here and nobody will be kicking and screaming at the end of
the night.
GS: No. The fighters are in
complete agreement. I don't do anything as a promoter unless
my fighter agrees.
WT: I know first hand from the
conversations we have had in the past and conversations that
I have had with fighters, that you mean that when you say
it, and that goes all the way back to your days with Diego.
GS: Yup...On another subject
this James Kirkland thing is going to go to court. What kind
of a Manager, like Cameron Dunkin, does what he did to a
fighter when the fighter could have been on HBO and earned
$150,00? Instead he is on ESPN, the fights over, no one
cares, people criticized Kirkland and now he may not fight
until sometime in 2009. I don't get it!
WT: I don't get it either, and you hate
to point fingers of blame but... do you blame the manager
for misdirecting his fighter or do you blame the fighter for
listening to and taking the bad advice?
GS: It depends on the
fighter and how sophisticated he is, and how sophisticated
the people around the fighter are, and then how much control
the manager has over the fighter. Now you got Cameron Dunkin
who is making plenty of money off Kelly Pavlik, and yet
James Kirkland had the opportunity to be on HBO. Who would
do that? Why would you do that? Now if I was doing a bad job
with Kirkland, that is understandable, but when you have
Kirkland on Showtime 5 times and HBO the next fight and then
got him lined up for another fight on HBO, why would you do
that?
WT: I have to be honest with you, I have
no idea. I will tell you I was at that HBO card in Nevada
and at the time I was thinking to myself that things were
setting up very pretty for Kirkland after that win.
GS: As it turned out,
Kirkland would have had a shot at fighting Sergio Martinez
for the WBC title because Joel Julio pulled out because he
didn't want to fight. So he loses the opportunity to fight
for a World title, he loses the opportunity to be on HBO
again...WHY? You know how important it is William to get on
a roll were everybody starts talking about you. But at the
same time, boxing is a very fickle sport, it's out of sight
out of mind.
WT: Exactly,in this sport if you drop
under the radar you can become yesterdays news real
fast. And I am not just saying this, I had no idea we were
going to go here...I was very high on James and I truly
thought this kid was going places right now. I mean it was
just yesterday it seems that everything was going real
good...now look were we are at. It's a shame Gary.
GS: Sometimes you don't
understand, but he is listening to Cameron Dunkin and some
attorney in Texas. But at the end of the day he (Kirkland)
is the loser because the attorney has other clients and
Dunkin has Pavlik and other fighters so they are all making
money. The only guy not making money is Kirkland.
WT: I must say, you have a great
constitution because fighters can be interesting characters
and pose some very unique problems, and they can put you
through the mill, as you know, and sometimes I think for you
to stick through all this, I really got to tip my hat to
you.
GS: Believe me, sometimes it
wears on me because I know I was good to Kirkland and did an
A1 job of promoting him but at the end of the day he listens
to Cameron, and what did they get? An ESPN fight in their
hometown? That's crazy! Or you can take the opportunity to
fight on HBO for $150,000 and a World title...you tell me!
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